Crater of Diamonds State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crater of Diamonds State Park
Visitors digging in the dirt for gems
Location	Murfreesboro, Arkansas United States
Area	911 acres (369 ha)
Established	October 25, 2002
Administered by	Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism

Crater of Diamonds State Park is an exciting public park in Pike County, Arkansas. This 911-acre (369 ha) reserve belongs to the Arkansas state park system in the United States. It features a huge plowed field covering 37.5 acres (15.2 hectares). This special field is one of the only diamond-bearing sites on Earth open to the general public. Visitors can rent digging tools, search through the soft dirt, and keep any real treasures they uncover. People have found glittering stones here continuously since 1906. These finds include the famous Strawn-Wagner Diamond discovered in 1990 and the huge Uncle Sam found in 1924. Weighing over 40 carats, Uncle Sam is the largest diamond ever found in North America.

The state park operates under the care of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. Leaders turned the grounds into a protected public park in 1972 after buying it from private owners. Today, children, families, and treasure hunters from across the world visit the area to discover shiny minerals.

The Amazing History of Arkansas Diamonds

A newspaper clipping from nearby Nashville, Arkansas, advertising diamond mining in the early 1900s

Scientists first studied the rocky ground near Murfreesboro, Arkansas in the late nineteenth century. In 1889, an Arkansas state geologist explored an ancient igneous intrusion deep within older sedimentary layers. He noticed unusual green volcanic rock called kimberlite, but he did not find any precious gems at that time.

The big discovery happened in August 1906 when a local farmer named John Wesley Huddleston bought the property. Huddleston was actually searching for gold on his farm, but he spotted two shiny crystals in the dirt instead. Gem expert George Frederick Kunz examined the crystals and identified them as real diamonds weighing 3 and 4.5 carats. Kunz visited the site alongside scientist Henry Stephens Washington to inspect the ground closely. They collected 140 fine diamonds right from the surface dirt and declared them equal to stones from India.

Following this discovery, business leaders from Little Rock, Arkansas formed the Arkansas Diamond Company. Huddleston sold his farmland to them for $36,000, which was a huge fortune at the time. Engineers drew up plans to mine the 73-acre orebody, quickly uncovering over 1,400 small diamonds in the loose regolith. Soon, thousands of eager prospectors traveled to the town of Kimberly, which sprang up with brand-new stores and hotels. Mining experts from famous companies like De Beers came to help run the machinery. However, most recovered crystals were tiny or useful only as tough industrial diamonds, causing the business to lose money.

Early Mining Companies and Lost Dreams

A father and son named Austin and Howard Millar leased neighboring land in 1912 to process ore. They successfully extracted thousands of bright stones over several years. Sadly, an unexpected fire destroyed their entire processing plant in January 1919.

The Arkansas Diamond Company reorganized soon after, hiring mining engineers to test the ground again. The company struggled to make a profit and closed its commercial works. A wealthy banker named Tom Cochran from the firm J.P. Morgan & Co. later bought thousands of stored gems. His collection featured the legendary Uncle Sam crystal discovered in 1924.

During the global conflict of WWII, the United States needed hard stones for factory equipment. Arkansas Governor Homer Martin Adkins and pioneering female Senator Hattie Caraway asked President Franklin Roosevelt to reopen the field. The United States Bureau of Mines dug up 435 tons of soil but found only 32 small gems. When the war ended, industrial operations stopped entirely.

Becoming an Arkansas State Park

Private investors realized that regular tourists loved searching for gems just as much as commercial miners did. In 1951, a public attraction called The Diamond Preserve opened its gates. Howard Millar opened a competing attraction called Millar's Crater of Diamonds the next year. Famous visitors uncovered huge prizes, such as the Star of Arkansas in 1956. By 1971, state leaders decided this unique spot deserved permanent protection. The state purchased the land and opened the official park in 1972 so everyone could enjoy prospecting safely.

Geology and Volcanic Secrets of the Crater

The rocks inside Crater of Diamonds State Park date all the way back to the Early Cretaceous period. Millions of years ago, a fiery volcanic blast ripped through the crust, creating an explosive Diatreme. Geologists study surface outcrops here to understand how deep magma behaves beneath continents.

How Magma Carried Diamonds to the Surface

Diamonds form deep underground under intense heat and crushing weight. Natural diamonds grow in the scorching mantle more than 93 miles beneath the ground. Deep inside this hidden layer, rocks like peridotite and eclogite squeeze carbon atoms tightly into sparkling crystal lattices.

A very rare molten rock known as magmatic lamproite blasted upward toward the surface at incredible speeds. This fast-moving eruption created a deep volcanic pipe that shattered surface rock layers. As the liquid rock surged upward, it tore away solid chunks of surrounding mantle called xenoliths. It also carried individual loose crystals called xenocryst minerals, including pure diamonds. When the eruption burst into open air, it blasted fragments across the landscape as pyroclastic deposits. The crater collapsed into a wide maar basin filled with scattered volcanic rubble called epiclastics.

Scientific research published in 2002 confirmed that these rocks endured temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees Celsius deep inside Earth. Over millions of years, wind, rain, and running water broke down the tough volcanic chimney. This natural weathering left behind rich soil packed with ancient crystals waiting for curious diggers.

Park Attractions and Digging for Real Treasure

The aquatic playground pool at Crater of Diamonds State Park

The main attraction of the park is its enormous 37.5-acre (15.2 ha) plowed search field. Park staff regularly plow the dirt with tractors to loosen the soil and expose fresh stones after rainstorms. Visitors find an average of one to two diamonds every single day.

Guests begin their day at the visitor center, which features interactive exhibits, rock displays, a gift shop, and a cafe. Future explorers can stop by the Diamond Discovery Center to practice finding hidden gems using screens and water buckets. Families can stay overnight at campsites located near the scenic Little Missouri River. On hot summer days, children can cool off at the Diamond Springs water play area.

The Diamond Mine Field

Amateur rock collectors, known as rockhound hobbyists, travel from around the world to test their mining skills. Anyone can enter the search area after paying a small admission ticket fee. The park has a strict policy: "Finders, Keepers!" If you find a priceless gemstone, it belongs entirely to you. Over 75,000 diamonds have come out of this rich volcanic soil since records began.

Diamonds found here appear in three main colors: bright white, warm brown, and sparkling yellow. Visitors also discover colorful semi-precious minerals scattered across the dirt:

• Purple amethyst crystals
• Banded and colorful agate stones
• Smooth pieces of red or yellow jasper
• Reddish garnet minerals
• Shiny flakes of phlogopite mica
• Clear glassy crystals of quartz
• Heavy mineral chunks of baryte
• White crystals of soft calcite

Famous Diamonds Discovered at the Park

Many giant, museum-quality diamonds have emerged from this Arkansas field over the decades:

Year	Diamond Name	Image	Weight (carat)	Weight (gram)	Color	Finder	Notes
1917	Canary	The Canary Diamond	17.86	3.572	canary yellow	Lee J. Wagner	Donated to the famous National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. by the family of Washington Roebling.
1924	Uncle Sam	The Uncle Sam Diamond	40.23	8.046	white	Wesley Oley Basham	The largest diamond ever discovered in North America, currently preserved by the Smithsonian.
1956	Star of Arkansas		15.33	3.066	white	Winifred Parker	Found resting right on top of the ground by a visiting tourist.
1964	Star of Murfreesboro	The Star of Murfreesboro	34.25	6.850	light blue	John Pollock	A massive gem found by an amateur prospector while on vacation.
1975	Amarillo Starlight		16.37	3.274	white	W. W. Johnson	Cut by skilled jewelers into a stunning, sparkling marquise shape.
1977	Kahn Canary	The Kahn Canary ring	4.25	0.850	canary yellow	George Stepp	A naturally flawless triangular crystal worn by Hillary Clinton during special celebration galas.
1981	Star of Shreveport		8.82	1.764	white	Carroll Blankenship	An exceptional sparkling gem uncovered in the muddy plowed rows.
1990	Strawn-Wagner Diamond		3.09	0.618	white	Shirley Strawn	Achieved a perfect grading score from world gem laboratories and now sits on display in the park museum.
2015	Esperanza Diamond	The Esperanza Diamond	8.52	1.704	colorless	Bobbie Oskarson	Cut and shaped in Arkansas by expert diamond cutter Mike Botha.
2024	Carine Diamond	The Carine Diamond	7.46	1.492	chocolate brown	Julien Navas	Found on the surface following heavy spring rains and named after the finder's future bride.

See Also

• Kelsey Lake Diamond Mine
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Pike County, Arkansas
• List of diamonds